| UNFPA IN THE NEWS – JANUARY 24-30, 2004 BANGLADESH: Maternal Mortality The Daily Star (Bangladesh) reported
January 26 that some 12,000 women die every year in Bangladesh
mainly due to pregnancy complications, said Suneeta Mukherjee,
Bangladesh representative for United Nations Fund for Population
Activities at a seminar on reproductive health and gender issues
in garment factories. Read: Daily Star
BENIN: Children Under Nourished Panafrican News Agency (PANA) reported January
26 that about 25 percent of Benin children under 3 suffer from
retarded growth and chronic malnutrition, according to a survey
on the state and future of the population by the UN Population
Fund (UNFPA). Experts say the nutritional state of Benin children
is among the most disturbing in the West African sub-region. They
blame the situation on widespread poverty. GHANA: Ghanaians More Aware Accra Mail (Ghana) reported on January
29 that at the start of UNDP’s spring program on HIV/AIDS leadership
development, Moses Monkasa, UNFPA Resident Representative, was
happy that many more Ghanaians are now aware of the disease and
asked that the fight against the disease be based on commitment
and missionary work and not based on donor support. He called
on parliamentarians and policy makers to critically study the
HIV/AIDS policy if it is presented in parliament and also ensure
that it is implemented, stressing that the infection rate of the
disease could reduce if there is a policy on it. Read: Accra Mail
GHANA: HIV/AIDS Campaign to Focus on Discrimination and Stigmatization Accra Mail (Ghana) reported January
27 that Michael Boamey, Ashanti Regional Coordinator of HIV/AIDS
and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases, called on AIDS campaigners
to focus their activities on discrimination and stigmatization
against People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) as a way of curbing
the spread of the disease. Boamey was speaking at the graduation
ceremony of a three-month distance education course on HIV/AIDS
counseling and care giving in Kumasi this past weekend. The program
organized by the Institute of Adult Education (IAE) of the University
of Ghana and sponsored by the United Nations Fund for Population
Activities (UNFPA), involved individuals and organizations from
workplaces and community levels in Ashanti. Read: Accra Mail IRAN: Reproductive Health Services for Lacking in Iran Press Trust of India reported January
24 that worsening hygienic conditions and a critical lack of reproductive
health services after last month's deadly earthquake in the Iranian
city of Bam threaten the well-being of thousands of women, the
United Nations Population Fund has warned. "As survivors return
to the area and reconstruction begins, reproductive health concerns
must be a humanitarian priority," Sharareh Amirkhalili, UNFPA
Assistant Representative in Iran, said. PAKISTAN: Advocacy Needed to Reduce Maternal Mortality Pakistan Press International reported January
26 that the UNFPA representative in Pakistan, Dr. Olivier Brasseur,
said in Pakistan advocacy is needed to reduce maternal mortality
rate, which is the highest in the South Asian region. He said
over 80 percent births still take place at home and despite the
high infant and maternal mortality rates, population growth rate
was on the rise, which he termed as a basic obstacle in economic
progress and development. Mr. Brasseur demanded the population
welfare department to restructure its policies, motivate staff
associated with the department and actively involve local media
to create awareness regarding maternal mortality and reproductive
health, which is key to key to reduce population growth rate.
PAKISTAN: $411 Million Development Pact Agreed Upon Pakistan Newswire reported January 27 that four
agencies of United Nations-UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and WFP signed
Pakistan’s Country Programme Action Plans (CPAP). The endorsement
of the Action Plans will allow UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and WFP to
undertake development work worth $411 million during the period
2004-2008. Read: Pakistan
Times, Pakistan
News Service, IRIN,
Reuters
PHILIPPINES: Youth Lists Sex as Risky Behavior Inter Press Service reported January 27 that
a national study by the University of the Philippines Population
Institute that interviewed nearly 30,000 youth across the country,
published by the Commission on Population and the United Nations
Population Fund, listed sex as something that happens often during
risky behavior such as smoking, drinking and drug use. Read: Inter
Press Service UNITED STATES: UNFPA Welcomes U.S. Senate Approval for Funding UNFPA welcomed the U.S. Senate's action in passing
a 2004 foreign operations spending bill late Jan. 22, which included
34 million dollars for its operations, reported Agence France-Presse
on January 23. "This critical funding will help save women's lives
around the world," said UN Population Fund Executive Director
Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. I appeal to the United States administration
to allow the funds appropriated by Congress to be released." In
a statement, the State Department said the administration was
studying the request. "The administration will continue to monitor
Chinas birth-limitation policies and practices, and UNFPAs support
for and/or participation in the management thereof, and will make
a decision on funding UNFPA before the end of the fiscal year,"
the statement said. Francis Kissling, president of Catholics for
Free Choice, who took part in the multifaith mission to China
last year, said, "UNFPA is a catalyst for chance and promotes
voluntary, high quality reproductive health care in China." In
a January 27 story by Inter Press Service, Craig Lasher, senior
policy analyst at Population Action International, said, "Unlike
last year, President Bush will be unable to quietly 'de-fund'
UNFPA without fanfare. "We hope that he will take a really serious
look at the facts on the ground, and if he does, we're confident
that UNFPA will get the money that the United States Congress
has appropriated." Read: Agence France-Presse,
Inter Press Service
UNITED STATES: Multifaith Groups Urge Bush to Fund UNFPA A January 30 op ed by Nazir Khaja, president
of Islamic Information Services, Nancy Kipnis, national vice president
of the National Council of Jewish Women, and Frances Kissling,
president of Catholics for a Free Choice, that ran in The
Miami Herald (FL) noted: “We are firm in our faith in the
facts: UNFPA does not support coercion and has been, and remains,
a major force and a vital catalyst in achieving China's transition
to a fully voluntary, noncoercive family-planning program. We
trust that Bush has the capacity to be fair and take our experiences
in China into consideration. He has the facts. Now he must act.
U.S. funding for UNFPA should be restored.” Read: Miami
Herald
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